Genie Lamp knew very little about Otsutsuki Isshiki, who had arrived in the ninja world with Kaguya.
He only remembered that the other party was not in his prime and was possessing a man named 'Jigen'. It was highly unlikely that he would be a match for Orochimaru at the moment.
But to say that this person posed no threat to Orochimaru would be overly optimistic.
Isshiki's position and strength within the Otsutsuki clan were even higher than that of Princess Kaguya. He had been lying low in the ninja world for a thousand years, and one could only imagine the schemes he had hatched.
Just as the Great Toad Sage had prophesied… a white-haired boy. If he were merely struggling to survive in the ninja world, how would he have come into contact with any white-haired boy?
"An Otsutsuki in the ninja world…"
A faint light flashed in Orochimaru's eyes. He didn't blame Genie Lamp for only bringing this up now. As the other party said, the information wasn't reliable. If he hadn't gotten some corroboration from the Great Toad Sage, he wouldn't have mentioned it at all.
But if the Great Toad Sage's prophecy had indeed come true, or was about to come true, and there was a hidden Otsutsuki in the ninja world… that would be very interesting.
Orochimaru was quite interested in the knowledge within their minds.
He himself could be considered a subspecies of Otsutsuki now, but he knew nothing about his own powers, such as the ability to travel between galaxies.
Relying solely on Konoha'sfuin (Sealing) ninja to research an entire spatial knowledge system from scratch would take an unknown amount of time. It would be much faster to make use of existing knowledge.
Orochimaru was already very experienced in this regard.
His rapid growth to this point was partly due to Genie Lamp and his own efforts, but the legacy left behind by Otsutsuki Kaguya and the Sage of Six Paths was the decisive factor. The former two merely enabled him to inherit it more effectively.
Now that he knew there was another Otsutsuki in the ninja world, Orochimaru was impatient to claim his heritage.
"A white-haired boy… It seems I'll need to pay attention to related information from now on."
Orochimaru made up his mind. Snapping out of his reverie, he turned his gaze to the Great Toad Sage and said with a smile,
"It seems I won't get any more information by staying at Mount Myōboku. Great Toad Sage, if you have any other prophecies in the future, we'll meet again then."
The Great Toad Sage gently turned its neck, as if nodding, to acknowledge Orochimaru's words.
Shima Sage, standing beside him, looked confused. "Didn't you say you were going to stay at Mount Myōboku for a while longer to observe the situation here?"
"I've learned the general situation in the past few days. Now, I don't have time for detailed research."
Orochimaru licked his lips and smiled. "But if necessary, I'll ask Jiraiya to invite you all to Konoha."
After the on-site investigation, he became even more convinced of Mount Myōboku's value, and it wasn't just about these toad summoning beasts.
For a thousand years, this place had been largely unaffected by any conflict. And because the toads were constrained by the Great Toad Sage, the ecology here had been close to the environment when the earth's energy was abundant in the past.
Just like toad oil, this special mucus that could help ordinary ninja enhance their perception of natural energy would evaporate if taken away from Mount Myōboku.
Orochimaru suspected that if other plants were transplanted to Konoha, or elsewhere, they might fail to grow or exhibit a "southern orange becoming a northern citrus" phenomenon.
This botanical material bank, though not particularly useful now, held significant value for his future plans.
The ninja world would not remain in a state of depleted earth energy forever.
Hearing Orochimaru speak, Fukasaku Sage's eyelids twitched, and he subtly pulled Shima Sage, who was about to say something more, backward.
Orochimaru ignored these subtle movements and smiled at the Great Toad Sage. "Well then, I'll be taking my leave."
With that, he turned his gaze to Jiraiya. The latter nodded slightly. Using the toad communicator left in Konoha, he took Orochimaru away from Mount Myōboku via a reverse summoning.
Only then did Shima Sage have the opportunity to speak, complaining, "...Old man, why didn't you let me speak?"
"Speak what? Do you want Orochimaru to stay at Mount Myōboku?" Fukasaku Sage stared with wide eyes.
Shima Sage was puzzled. "What's wrong with staying a little longer? He's so strong, and he's Jiraiya's companion..."
"But unlike Jiraiya, he's too dangerous..." Fukasaku Sage said, then looked towards the head of the table. "Your Excellency, is that strange snake really related to Orochimaru?"
"Most likely..."
The Great Toad Sage, which had been silent for a long time and seemed to have fallen asleep, slowly said, "Natural energy, aura… there are too many similarities between the two."
"Moreover, no one can suddenly become this powerful. There's a connection…"
Although he had been mostly asleep for the past thousand years, he had observed the ninja world from a certain perspective.
Senju Hashirama and Uchiha Madara from a few decades ago were already formidable powerhouses. How could another individual capable of rivaling the Sage of Six Paths have appeared in such a short time?
What's more, based on the Great Toad Sage's understanding of Orochimaru, this guy was extremely pragmatic.
He had spent considerable effort to intercept the strange snake. Why would he be easily dismissed by a few words of seemingly unreliable prophecy?
If the similarity between Orochimaru and the strange snake merely indicated a possibility, then what happened in the great hall just now was the most effective proof.
It was precisely because the crisis at Mount Myōboku originated from Orochimaru that they let him off so easily afterward.
Of course, Jiraiya's relationship also played a significant role in this.
Hearing the Great Toad Sage say this, Shima Sage cried out, "I was so grateful to him before, it's really..."
"You should be grateful to him; the two are not mutually exclusive."
The Great Toad Sage raised its eyelids slightly. "It's just that Mount Myōboku is considered the last Pure Land for the toads and cannot withstand much disturbance. It's best to let dangerous individuals like Orochimaru leave as soon as possible."
He wasn't unaware of the considerable opportunities that lay with Orochimaru. However, the toads hadn't established much of a relationship with him prior. Through Jiraiya, it was a roundabout connection, perhaps even less significant than the snake from Ryuuchi Cave. At present, it was safer to adopt a conservative strategy.
With that thought, the Great Toad Sage instructed, "Do not tell any other toads about this, besides the two of you."
Given the power dynamics, this had to be an unspoken understanding. He wouldn't even inform the Sage of Six Paths.
"We understand." Fukasaku and Shima, the two Sages, responded in unison.
...
In a dense forest within Konoha Village, Orochimaru and Jiraiya emerged from the mouth of a toad.
The summoning beast behind them vanished in a puff of white smoke. Jiraiya looked somewhat worried and asked, "Orochimaru, are you in such a hurry to return because you have news of that Otsutsuki?"
As companions for many years, Jiraiya knew his companion's habits well. He wouldn't change his plans without reason.
"Not exactly." Orochimaru glanced at Jiraiya and smiled. "But just like your 'Child of Destiny,' if we only stay at Mount Myōboku, the chances of encountering any white-haired youths are too slim. It's better to return to the village. Hmm… Kakashi's hair color seems to be white, so he might barely qualify as a youth."
"...What do you mean 'barely'? He's not that old."
Jiraiya couldn't help but laugh heartily, then his expression turned serious. "Sage of Six Paths… I didn't expect such a legendary figure to have a family."
During his time at Mount Myōboku, he had learned some of the ninja world's secrets, but he wasn't particularly interested. Instead, he felt deep anxiety.
The legendary 'Ancestor of Chakra' viewed ordinary people as mere ants. How would outsiders from the same clan view the current ninja world? Jiraiya didn't believe they would be amicable.
The fact that such a hidden threat existed in the ninja world was deeply unsettling.
"Don't think too much about it. Even if the sky falls, there will be tall people to hold it up." After saying this, Orochimaru's form suddenly shifted, using a Transformation Jutsu to conceal his youthful appearance.
"Hahaha… What does that mean? Are you that tall person?"
Jiraiya laughed heartily, patted Orochimaru's shoulder, and his expression turned serious. "Then I'm counting on you."
"No matter what the Great Toad Sage thinks of you, I've always believed that your existence is a great thing for the ninja world."
Jiraiya naturally sensed the peculiar atmosphere in the toad's great hall, but he chose not to acknowledge it. He also felt he wouldn't be able to persuade Orochimaru to change his attitude.
"You're speaking too soon."
Orochimaru smiled with a peculiar expression. "I have some things to do now. You hurry and go see the old man and tell him not to rush."
"I understand." Jiraiya nodded, then asked with a hint of confusion, "Did something happen?"
"Just some minor matters."
Orochimaru emphasized this, then, after sending Jiraiya away, he took out a sealing tool that resembled a pot from Sunagakure Village.
"Seal Release!"
After a puff of white smoke, a sand-like biological mass appeared in his hand, slowly wriggling. This was the fungus he had collected from the White Snake that day.
"Although it's all part of it, if the scale doesn't reach a certain level, it can't display consciousness, only some instinctive reactions."
Orochimaru toyed with the fungus in his hand, a golden glint flashing in his eyes.
A life form capable of performing 'Sun Breathing' to continuously absorb solar energy was of great significance. It could even be considered a new source of earth energy for the ninja world.
In fact, the overall Chakra and natural energy in the ninja world had been slowly increasing compared to before, but the rate was not very noticeable.
In fact, due to his recent growth, a significant portion had been siphoned off, and the remaining Chakra and natural energy had even declined.
If he continued to grow on his own, the cost would be the continuous weakening of everyone else in the ninja world.
This was an foreseeable fact, an unavoidable trend.
Otherwise, the Otsutsuki clan wouldn't have become a nomadic interstellar family, continuously harvesting energy from the vast expanse of the cosmos.
Orochimaru had initially intended to follow the path of his predecessors. He planned to at least visit the moon and plunder all that unrelated energy source. However, the appearance of the White Snake presented him with a new possibility.
But it was unrealistic to expect the White Snake to sacrifice itself and willingly become an offering for everyone's benefit. Even Gedo Mazo, with its simple will, would instinctively resist. It would require a unique dōjutsu to control it.
Orochimaru had no choice but to abandon wishful thinking and find new research avenues, such as the degraded products of the fungus.
He didn't need the efficiency of the White Snake. Even if he absorbed less, as long as the quantity of the fungus increased, the natural energy would follow.
"The amount of material I managed to extract back then wasn't much, but fortunately, this thing grows very well..."
Orochimaru waved his hand, and a wind blade shot out, severing a half-meter-long branch from above. It fell directly into his hand and was then fed to the fungus.
Green leaves, brown branches, soft, hard… they seemed to melt and disappear into the fungus.
With extremely strong absorption and digestion abilities, the fungus visibly expanded by one-third and even showed signs of forming into a snake shape.
"Terrifying..." Orochimaru licked his lips, suddenly recalling First Hokage's cells.
There was indeed a resemblance between the two. The latter could proliferate wildly in any flesh and blood, almost like cancer cells, devouring all original life forms. The fungus, however, was even more dangerous, as no organic matter could escape its consumption.
It seemed that anything related to the Six Paths level exhibited the characteristic of erosion.
Orochimaru couldn't even place the fungus on the ground. In the fertile soil of the Land of Fire, it could grow to an enormous size at a terrifying speed. Perhaps in just a few hours, it could reach the size he had seen at Mount Myōboku.
He cut off half of the fungus from his hand and placed it into a sealing scroll. Orochimaru held the remaining half in his palm, his eyes gleaming with a golden light. "Although it's slightly inferior to the tail-devourer in terms of spiritual power, I am also at the Six Paths level!"
A surge of immense dōjutsu power erupted, flowing entirely into the fungus, inch by inch eroding its spiritual power.
Outside Mount Myōboku, the White Snake was able to cause such significant trouble due to its terrifying "quantity." However, with this mere small piece of fungus, Orochimaru would heavily suppress it in terms of "quantity."
Although it took some effort, as expected, the erosion was successfully completed.
"But it still failed…"
Orochimaru opened his palm, and dust and sand trickled down from his fingers, quickly forming a small sand dune.
The result of the completed erosion was the death of the fungus. Whether measured by spirit or physical form, these had completely lost their life force, becoming merely nutrient-rich… feed.
"Well, it's not surprising."
Genie Lamp glanced at the pile of sand and chuckled. "The result of eroding First Hokage's cells was the same. The White Snake's fungus kills the life form before absorbing it… Erosion seems to be a technical skill; it can't be done carelessly. Let's practice with something else first."
"That's a good idea, but what about the material?"
Orochimaru played with the scroll in his hand. "I don't lack fungus, but I can feel that continuing this practice won't lead to any success."
Eroding low-level organisms and eroding organisms of the same level have vastly different difficulties. The latter is not something he can do now.
"Ordinary creatures are too fragile… How about White Zetsu?"
Genie Lamp pointed in the direction of the ground and said with a smile. "They have been high-quality materials within Gedo Mazo for nearly a thousand years and have outstanding stability."